Watch as the Texas House debates school finance bill
We're livestreaming as the Texas House debates legislation aimed at boosting per-student funding for almost every school district and charter in the state. Full Story
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![The Texas House of Representatives continues the budget debate into the late afternoon Thursday on April 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Senate panel considers bill to simplify school finance formula
The Senate Education Committee discussed a bill that would radically simplify the state's school finance formula, stripping it of some antiquated provisions. Parents and educators who testified wanted a few new provisions added in. Full Story
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![Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, challenges sponsor Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, with a question during debate on amendments to SB 3 school choice legislation up in the Senate on March 30, 2017. The original bill was modified greatly during an afternoon-long debate.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
School districts beg Senate panel to keep expiring state aid program
The Senate Education Committee is considering extending a decade-old state aid program for small, vulnerable school districts that depend on it for vital operations. The program is set to expire in September. Full Story
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![Sen. Lois Kolkhorst proposed a bill that would extend a state aid program to help struggling school districts that say they depend on it.]()
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Texas made a school district take in more students. But will it help fund them?
As lawmakers debate possible reforms to the school finance system this week, they might decide whether to continue offering extra funds to districts like Texas City ISD, which last year was forced to annex a struggling district next to it. Full Story
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![Myritha Lenor, a senior at La Marque High School, wears her Sears badge — she works there part time — while studying at Texas City ISD's Challenge Academy.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The taxes Texas school districts are afraid to cut
A state law that's supposed to keep a leash on school tax increases might be preventing temporary tax breaks in the Texas districts with the highest tax rates. But reversing it could make it easier to raise taxes. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: A state school finance system that can choke a city’s growth
A state that wants to grow by freeing economic engines from regulations and taxes is throttling its cities and school districts with regulations and taxes. Full Story
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Credit: The Texas Tribune -
House committee approves $1.6 billion school finance measure
The House Public Education Committee voted 10-1 to approve Chairman Dan Huberty's school finance bill, which would mean gains for most, but major losses for some. Full Story
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![House Committee on Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty at a hearing on March 21, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas Legislature giveth — and taketh away
Local governments and school districts battling the Texas Legislature over property taxes have a couple of things in common: They want local control over taxes and a more reliable partner in the state government. Full Story
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![State Rep. and Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty, R-Houston, speaks at a press conference unveiling the school finance bill on March 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
School leaders ask House not to cut state aid program in finance fix
School districts urged House lawmakers on Tuesday not to create winners and losers as they work to revamp the state's public school funding system. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, at a House Education Committee meeting on March 7, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
House leader announces $1.6B school funding plan
The top public education policymaker in the Texas House unveiled a $1.6 billion plan on Monday that he described as a first step to overhauling the state’s beleaguered school funding system. Full Story
![State Rep. and Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty, R-Houston, speaks at a press conference unveiling the school finance bill on March 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: With opposition to vouchers, public ed chairman is protecting legislators from voters
Lawmakers rarely get blamed for votes that never take place, and that's the basis for one of the oldest protection rackets in the legislative toolkit: Killing a controversial bill before it comes to the full House or Senate. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Humble, newly appointed chair of the House Education Committee, talks public education at TTEvents on Feb. 28, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Huberty on school finance, school choice, A-F (video)
Full video of Evan Smith's 2/28 conversation with state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, the chairman of the House Public Education Committee. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas makes do with broken but legal school finance system
It’s a confusing time in school finance — a maelstrom of local and state governments trying to master a byzantine system that is faltering in every way but the most important one: The courts say it's broken, but constitutionally sound. Full Story
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Analysis: A $100 million reinterpretation of Texas school finance law
A reinterpretation of the state's school finance law will leave $100 million in the accounts of some of the state's property wealthy districts — and will leave a hole of that size in an already tight state budget. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas, a legislative sideshow to the main act in D.C.
The Texas Legislature is primed to go, but this is going to be a session outside the limelight. The Texans are busy, but the spotlight is on the new administration in Washington, D.C. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott delivers his State of the State address in the House Chamber on Jan. 31, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate takes first step toward school finance overhaul
The Senate has tasked a new budget working group with coming up with ways to overhaul the state's school finance system. Full Story
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![Senate Committee on Education Chairman Sen. Larry Taylor R-Friendswood during a Aug 3, 2016 hearing]()
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Analysis: Spinning numbers in lawmakers’ proposed budgets
For lessons in how to speak positively about bad news — without telling lies — you might consider studying at the feet of the people who write the Texas budget. Full Story
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A conversation with Burrows and Darby (video)
Full video of Evan Smith's 1/19 conversation with state Reps. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, on the campus of Howard College in San Angelo. Full Story
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Analysis: Legislators start with a $5.3 billion difference of opinion
In their first-day numbers, the Texas Legislature's two chambers didn’t even agree on the size of the current budget. The House baked in some supplemental expenses that the Senate left that out. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas budget writers treasure that school tax you hate
In the midst of all the gloomy state budget news, this stuck out like a gold nugget in a cow patty: Rising property values in the state’s school districts translate into higher local tax revenue, cutting the state's obligation to education. Full Story
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Credit: Dave Wilson